386 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL 



with animal life, as has hitherto been generally supposed, 

 but, on the contrary, presents an abundance and variety in its 

 fauna, which appears to have far surpassed what is now ob- 

 served there. With respect to the class of mammals, the 

 superiority of the ancient order of creation is proved in the 

 case of genera, and it is highly probable that the total 

 amount of species was also greater. The families of Arma- 

 dilloes and Sloths, together with those of Ruminants and 

 Pachi/dermata, being more numerous formerly than at pre- 

 sent both in genera and species ; there is the greatest degree 

 of probability that this was also the case in the families of 

 Ferce and Rodents, The family of Sirnice existed at that 

 period, whereas it seems that Bats were wanting. The 

 mammalian class of this continent exhibited the same pecu- 

 liar stamp that now distinguishes it. At the same time, in 

 the very midst of these peculiar South American forms, ap- 

 peared some that in our day are confined to the warmer 

 regions of the Old World. The greater portion of the 

 genera, of which this country's mammalian fauna formerly 

 consisted, exist there now : of those which are wanting, 

 most are entirely extinct, others have disappeared from the 

 whole of this continent, while a few are confined to the lofty 

 mountain chains of the western coast. 



The existing species are all distinct from the fossil : man 

 did not exist at that period. From these results, which are 

 nothing more than a comprehensive expression of facts, I 

 collect the following more general consequences, which cer- 

 tainly seem to me to follow necessarily from the above ; but 

 which, as they rest upon conclusions that may not have equal 

 force in the eyes of all, should be separated from the former. 

 The form of the continents was the same in the ancient 

 period as in the present. The temperature on the entire sur- 

 face of the earth was higher than now ; but at the same time 

 it diminished from the equator towards the poles. The na- 

 tural catastrophe that annihilated the numerous animals with 

 which the present account has made us acquainted, was an 

 universal catastrophe that embraced the whole earth. All 

 life was extinguished on the face of our globe ; a great epoch 

 in the history of the earth was closed ; and the innumerable 

 forms under which animal life now appears are the products 

 of a new creation. In like manner, as in an older formation 

 (Jura limestone), we see an inferior class of animals (Reptiles) 

 appear with an extraordinary abundance and variety of forms 

 and enormity of bulk ; so does this epoch, whose fauna has 

 formed the subject of the present disquisition, display the 

 culmination point of the highest class in the animal kingdom, 



